Hinging arrangement



Dec. 6, 1949 c. H. BAYER 2,490,504

HINGING ARRANGEMENT Filed June 18, 1947 vljigz INSULA 770/V INSl/LA T/OIV 0 Tai 9 Fig.4.

Inventor: Charles HBayer,

y H is Attorney.

Patented Dec. 6, 1949 1 UN I TED STATES" PATFE-NT F F] C E CharleseH. Bayer, Wynnewood, ,Pa.,..ass'ignor to General .Electric Company, 'a corporation of New York Application June 18, 1947,'Serial-N.o. #755,315

6 Claims. -(Cl. 220-'32') l V 2 My invention relates to improvements in hingrangem'ent whichtis economical, compact, electriing arrangements whereby one member can be cally safe,'simpleand' easy'to install, and readily mounted on a corner of another for swinging adaptableto "terminal blocks of difierent sizes movement relatively thereto, and more particuregardless ofthenumb'er of terminal spaces. A.

larly my invention relates .to improvements for 5 ,further Object of my "invention is to provide hinging covers on the corners of terminal boards an improvedcorner'hin'ge biasedmountingwhich having a base and a plurality of spaced walls requ'iresno screws, rivets, or' the like and uses a extending therefrom'to provide individualtermiminimurn-amount'of' space and material and yet nal mounting spaces which .for safety and other is sufficiently ruggedand durable for itsintended purposes have to be covered normally :and yet :10 ".use. "These and other objects of my invention must be readily accessible for inspection and willhereinafter appear in more detail. wiring purposes. "My invention WilI'be better understoodifrom Terminal boards, or blocks as they often are the following descriptionwhen-considered in concalled, usually comprise a base from which 'arise nection with the accompanying sheet or drawa plurality of parallel walls defining spaces in lugs, and its scope will be pointed out in the apwhich terminals'are mounted on the base. These pended claims. blocks are usually made of molded insulating In theaccompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 material, and the spaces are open at the ends illustrates'a hinging arrangement embodying my for wires connected to the terminals. The invention as applied toaterminal blockand cover spaces may in some cases be open atthe top, 520 shown inplani'view with. the .cover open; Fig. 2 but, if so, dust and dirt readily collect on the is a side viewof the terminal block and cover terminals and the possibility of short circuits'in shown 'in Fig. .1 with the cover shown in the consequence of falling objects, such as 'tools and closed position;fFig. .3 is an end-elevation of the the 'like, of .conducting material .is too'great'to terminal block and cover shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 be neglected. Covers have been provided, but 'is.a plan view of .ahinge element embodying my these are mounted on the top surfaces of the invention; Fig. 5a.is a partial sectional elevation walls by screws. Such structure is time con- I on the line '5-5 of Fig. .1 assuming the cover suming in labor andcost not only .ormanu'facclosecland-showing thehinge element of Fig.4 ture but in workingon the .terminalboards and m .partially installed;..and Fig. 5b is a partial :secespeciallysosince boards-of different-sizes usu- 'tional elevationionthe line 55 of Fig. l asally appear in .the same installation. .In.consesuming. thecover closed-andshowing the hinge quenceof which, covers get mixed or misplaced, element fullydnstalled.

screws lost, etc. Because ofihigh un tlaborrcosts Fo e 513 313056 0 illustrating y inv especially today, common hinge mountings .are. .I have shown an embodiment thereof in. a tertoo costly for consideration not .only fromthe minalboardnhavinga. base I and a plurality of standpoint of the'hinge itself. but .also the.prepaspaced walls .such as .end walls 2 and interrationof .the terminal board to adapt the hinge mediate. walls -3 extending from the base to prothereto Moreoven any i nting of .a mevide spaces :for. connectors '4 suitably secured to tallic character must involve the minimum a -the base as by1rivet'inserts-5 and provided with amount of material :not only from the standconductorclampingmeans such as washerheaded point of cost but also to minimize :the probabilscrews :6. "As shown, each of the end 'walls 2 ity of short circuits. .Moreover the satisfactory is -providedprwit-hia-:reclassed portion '5 for'the rehinge mounting should embody the minimum. ceptionwfrsuitable :fastening means :such as a amount of work in :preparation :of the .coverand lik screw' 8 throughv the base l for securing the terthe block, and it should be possible to assemble minal board to'a switchboard or other structure thrgmountingwithoutthe use ofitoolsa'orat least. 9, as shown'in- Fig. 3. Ereferably the terminal with a tool no more complicated than a simple boards are *of molded insulating material, and screwdriver. the number :of connector-spaces may vary from An object-of my invention isfitoiprovideian-im- 511 four: totwelve or more to take care of as many proved cornerhinging arrangement which while circuits. notso lim'itedin its applicationis particularly- :Forc'overing:the'spaces'between the walls at adapted .for use :with thin:insulatingrcoversfor themuteredges thereof, a cover ll! is provided, terminal blocks. Another obiectrofwmymvention and for swinging movement relatively to the is to .provide an -improved. x:orner hinging' :ar-- -Lterminaliiblockwthis cover is mountedthereon by an aligned corner mounting hinge arrangement embodying my invention so that the cover can be swung over and away from the outer edges of the walls to cover and uncover the spaces therebetween. This hinging arrangement, in accordance with my invention, embodies a double hook hinge element II which, as shown in full in Figs. 4, 5a and 5b, is generally U-shaped to form the main hinge hook with one of its legs bent inwardly at its free end to provide a reentrant hook portion I2 extending substantially perpendicular to the leg I3. The double hook hinge element II is preferably made of resilient material such as spring wire so shaped that prior to installation on the corner of the terminal block the legs I3 and I4 converge slightly from the bight I5, as shown in Fig. 4. Preferably the legs are of unequal length, the leg I4 being the shorter.

Further in accordance with my invention, the hinge elements respectively extend through spaced openings I 6 in the cover I near one outer edge thereof and of materially greater area than the cross-sectional area of the hinge element with the shorter legs I4 respectively extending with a snug fit into holes I! respectively provided in the outer side adjacent the corner of two of the walls such, for example, as the end walls 2, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5a, and respectively registering with the openings in the cover and the bent portions I2 of the legs I3 respectively extending with a snug fit into holes I8 respectively provided in the adjacent side that forms the aligned corners of the walls 2, all as shown in Fig. 5b.

In mounting the hinge element I I, the cover I0 is placed in the closed position on the top edges of the Walls 2 and 3 of the terminal block with the cover openings I6 registering with the holes I7 adjacent the aligned corner of the walls 2, as shown in Fig. 5a. The short end I4 of the hinge element is then inserted through the opening IS in the cover into the hole I! in the end wall 2, as shown in Fig. 5a, with the bent end I2 bearing against the adjacent side that forms the corner of the wall 2. As the short end I4 is pushed further into the hole I1, the bent portion I2 of the longer leg registers with the hole I8 provided in the adjacent side that forms the corner of the wall 2. This bent end I2 ma then be pushed into the hole I8 and the assembly is completed, as shown in Fig. 5b. To facilitate the assembly and to assure that the corner hinge element II remains in place, this element is so shaped or formed originally that the legs I3 and I 4 converge .from the bight I5, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. In this way, the resilience of the element I I maintains the bent end I2 in the'hole I8. Inasmuch as the holes I1 and I8 are substantially simply and readily performed with a tool as" simple as a screw driver. For maintaining the cover in the closed position, there are provided suitable means such as captive thumb screws I9 which screw into threaded holes or threaded inserts 2E] molded in the walls 2 of the block.

While I have shown and described my invention in considerable detail, I do not desire to be limited to the exact arrangements shown, but seek to cover in the appended claims all those modifica- 4 tions that fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. An arrangement for hinging a member on a corner of a support comprising at least one generally U-shaped hinge element having legs of unequal length and a portion of the free end of the longer leg bent inwardly at a predetermined angle thereto and said element extending through an opening provided in said member and of materially greater area than the crosssectional area of the shorter leg with the shorter leg extending with a snug fit into a hole provided in one side of the corner of said support and registering with the opening in said member and the bent portion of said longer leg extending with a snug fit into a hole provided in the adjacent side of the corner of said support at approximately said predetermined angle to and adjacent the hole in the support into which the shorter leg extends.

2. An arrangement for hinging a member on a support having corners in alignment comprising two generally U-shaped hinge elements, one of the legs of each of said elements having its free end bent inwardly at a predetermined angle to the leg and said elements respectively extending through spaced openings provided in said memher and of materially greater area than the crosssectional area of the other legs with the other legs respectively extending with a snug fit into holes respectively provided in one side of the aligned corner of said support and respectively registering with the openings in said member and the bent portions of said first-mentioned legs respectively extending with a snug fit into holes respectively provided in the adjacent side of the corners of said support at approximately said predetermined angle to and adjacent the holes in the support into which said other legs extend.

3. An arrangement for hinging a member on a support having adjacent sides forming a corner comprising at least one generally U-shaped resilient hinge element having legs of unequal length and a portion of the free end of the longer leg bent inwardly at a predetermined angle thereto and said element extending through an opening provided in said member and of materially greater area than the cross-sectional area of the shorter leg with the shorter leg extending with a snug fit into a hole provided in one side of the corner of said support and registering with the opening in said member and the bent portion of said longer leg extending with a snug fit into a hole provided in the adjacent side of the corner of said support at approximately said predetermined angle to and adjacent the hole in the" 4. In a cover hinging arrangement for a terminal board having a base and a plurality of spaced walls extending therefrom and provided with at least one corner, a cover and corner mounted means for pivotally mounting said cover for movement over and away from the outer edges of said walls to cover and uncover the spaces therebetween comprising at least one generally U-shaped hinge element, one of the legs of said element having its free end bent inwardly at a predetermined angle to the leg and said element extending through an opening provided in said cover near one edge thereof and of materially greater area than the cross-sectional area of said other leg with the other leg extending with a snug fit into a hole provided in the outer side of the corner of one of said walls and registering with the opening in said cover and the bent portion of said one leg extending with a snug fit into a hole provided in the adjacent side of the corner of said wall.

5. In a cover arrangement for a terminal board having a base and a plurality of spaced walls extending therefrom and provided with corners in alignment, a cover, and corner mounted means for pivotally mounting said cover for movement over and away from the outer edges of said walls to cover and uncover the spaces therebetween comprising two U-shaped hinge elements each having one leg longer than the other and a portion of the free end of the longer leg bent inwardly at a predetermined angle thereto, said elements respectively extending through spaced openings provided in the cover near one edge thereof and of materially greater area than the cross-sectional area of th shorter leg with the shorter legs respectively extending with a snug fit into holes respectively provided in the outer side adjacent the corners of two of said walls and respectively registering with the openings in said cover and the bent portions of said longer legs respectively extending with a snug fit into holes respectively provided in the adjacent side forming the aligned corners of said two walls.

6. In a cover arrangement for a terminal board having a base and a plurality of spaced Walls extending therefrom and provided with corners in alignment, a cover, and corner mounting means for pivotally mounting said cover for movement over and away from the outer edges of said walls to cover and uncover the spaces therebetween comprising two generally U-shaped resilient wire hinge elements each having one leg longer than the other and a portion of the free end of the longer leg bent inwardly at a predetermined angle thereto, said elements respectiveiy extending through spaced openings provided in the cover near one edge thereof and of materially greater area than the cross-sectional area of the shorter leg with the shorter legs further respectively extending with a snug fit into holes respectively provided in the outer side adjacent the corners of two of said walls and respectively registering with the openings in said cover and the bent portions of said longer legs respectively extending with a snug fit into holes respectively provided in the adjacent side formin the aligned corners of said two walls, each of said elements being so shaped that the legs thereof converge from the bight of the element until insertion of the end portions of the legs in the holes in said adjacent sides of said corners.

CHARLES H. BAYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 479,797 Gabrance Aug. 2, 1892 1,406,683 Regan Feb. 14, 1922 1,659,303 Rovere Feb. 14, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,646 Great Britain Of 1903 

